Hatem Ben Arfa scored two late penalties as OGC Nice beat second-placed Angers SCO 2-1 to move provisionally up to third place in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Pushing for a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad later this year, Ben Arfa ended a barren run of 10 league games without a goal with two expertly taken spot-kicks.
He sent goalkeeper Alexandre Letellier the wrong way both times, placing the ball to the right in the 80th minute and stroking it to the left four minutes later to take his league tally to nine this season.
Photo: AFP
With Angers controlling the first half, Nice goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale brilliantly tipped over a header from Pierrick Capelle in the 14th minute, but he was powerless to stop Capelle from opening the scoring 10 minutes later.
The winger ran onto an excellent long pass from midfielder Romain Saiss, controlled it with his first touch and then slotted it past Cardinale with his next.
“The first half was very poor, we could not get going and gifted them a goal. We were better in the second half, playing higher up the pitch and winning our challenges,” Nice coach Claude Puel said.
Nice have 33 points and are one point behind Angers. They lead fourth-placed AS Monaco on goal-difference ahead of the rest of the weekend’s games.
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